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Yes, she wanted something serious, but that didn’t mean her body didn’t miss the fun sometimes. And not-so-bright athletes were good at it, right?

Oh, forget it; Matt wasn’t for her.

“Why do you owe Lucy a drink?” she asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

“I told her where to find Dax Temple.”

“What?” She didn’t understand.

“Not important,” Lucy said, gritting her teeth. “I don’t want to hear that name tonight, okay? Actually, when I think about it, I could do without ever seeing him again.”

Mercy, what had the man done? Lucy wasn’t easily upset. She was tough, didn’t shy away from confrontation, and took what she wanted – qualities that Maddie had always envied.

“That’s going to be difficult, since he’s a player and you’re the team’s PR woman,” Matt pointed out. “But hey, Dax was probably just having a bad day. He’s actually an all-right guy.”

“So, it’s true you’re best friends?” Maddie asked.

At least that was what the media reported.

She wasn’t a huge Hawks fan like Lucy, but her entire family used to go to a game once a month.

They’d done so until her mother died. She still followed the sport casually because it gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

“Guilty as charged,” Matt said, grinning.

“Oh, Matt, your taste in men is terrible,” Lucy said regretfully, standing. “I even feel a little sick. Excuse me for a minute.” She gave him another reproachful look and then disappeared into the bar.

Matt chuckled softly, and the rough, dark tone made the little hairs on Maddie’s neck stand up. “Your sister isn’t shy, is she?”

“Oh, no,” Maddie confirmed…and then she didn’t know what else to say.

Uncertain, she smiled at the far too good-looking, rich, and famous guy, and when a few terrible seconds of awkward silence followed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“I just want to quickly…” She didn’t finish the sentence but pointed at her screen.

Then she typed the first thing that came to mind into Google.

Adonis demigod full god?

“Full god.”

She looked up, confused. “What?”

“Adonis. He was a full god. At least, according to the Phrygians.”

Maddie blinked. Extremely strange things were coming out of the mouth of the hot moron with manners. “The Phrygians?”

Matt grinned. “Yes. The Indo-European people who had a relatively large empire in the middle of Asia Minor in the eighth century BC. He was their vegetation god.”

“But…” Maddie was still having trouble connecting these words with the incredibly handsome man in front of her. “I thought he came from Greek mythology.”

“Yes, researchers are still arguing about that. The Phrygians were the first, but he is also mentioned in Greek and Roman mythology. There, however, he was neither a demigod nor a real god. There, he was merely a beautiful human born of inbreeding who fell for Aphrodite or Venus — your pick. And then he was killed by her jealous husband, Ares or Mars.”

Maddie’s mouth dropped because, damn! He wasn’t a hot idiot. He was just hot. How completely unfair. “How do you know that?” she asked, perplexed.

He shrugged. “I studied history. I found mythology to be one of the more interesting subjects.”

“You studied…? For real , with a degree?” Even to her ears, her voice sounded blunt and incredulous. Most athletes only went to college for show!

Matt grinned. “My parents insisted. That’s why I came to the NHL a little later and…” He paused, probably because he noticed her eyes widening in astonishment. “Oh, shit.” He laughed. “You’re shocked, aren’t you? You thought I was just a dumb jock.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

“No!” she said, horrified, raising her hands defensively — even though it was a bit true.

“Yes, you did.” His grin widened. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first.”

Her cheeks caught fire. “Really, I didn’t…I mean, I don’t even know you,” she stammered, embarrassed.

He snorted in amusement. “Yeah, sure, that always stops people from judging others, you’re right.”

The corners of her mouth twitched and she sank deeper into the chair with a groan.

“Oh man.” She sighed and pressed a hand to her face.

“I’m sorry. Really. It’s just that Lucy brings guys over from time to time, and most of them are blessed with beauty and a lot of muscle but no brains. I had no idea you had all three.”

“Well, well,” he replied, “So, you’re superficial — and you think I’m beautiful.”

“I’m not superficial, I just know all the clichés.” She peeked through her fingers. “Besides, if you’ve practiced with your reflection as much as you say, you know you’re beautiful!”

He laughed hoarsely. “What exactly are all these clichés?” he asked. “If it makes you feel any better, I have a full-length mirror hanging above my bed so I don’t miss out on any of my beauty.”

She snorted – because she was rather certain he was joking…right? – then said, “I’m prone to prejudices,” she admitted contritely. “I deal with men all day who fit every stereotype. It’s hard to break the habit of placing them into categories.”

“So, what categories might those be?”

“Generally speaking? Marriage material or relationship-phobic.”

Matt choked on his beer and leaned forward, coughing and wheezing. “You immediately categorize all the men you meet into at either for the altar or just here for the orgasms ?”

Well, she wouldn’t put it that way…

“It’s an occupational hazard,” she uttered hastily. “I just started a dating agency.”

Matt set the bottle down loudly on the table and blinked at her in surprise. “Seriously? In these days of Tinder and Grindr?”

She swallowed. Yes, he wasn’t the first person to tell her that. “On Tinder and Grindr, most people aren’t seeking true love.”

“Well, the next fuck can also be true love,” Matt said wisely.

She winced at his choice of words. He was probably not a romantic. “It usually isn’t. It’s only satisfying…briefly.”

Matt lifted the corner of his mouth and slowly leaned toward her until his fingers touched hers. “But it does satisfy , if you do it right,” he whispered, his breath brushing her cheek. “That’s no peanuts.”

Her uterus immediately did flips and her skin began to tingle. She took it all back; he was a hot jackass after all, but at least an entertaining one.

She glanced away. “Yeah, maybe, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

Consulting with a friend and my older sister, who’s a couples’ therapist, I developed a questionnaire and an algorithm that’s designed for the long term.

Besides, I have my intuition. I’m pretty good at sensing if someone is a long-term match. It’s no one on Tinder.”

“Ah.” Matt still seemed skeptical, but he nodded. “So, are you successful?”

She made a face. “We just started two months ago, but it looks promising.” At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

Her idea was sound and her algorithm was great.

Knowing first-hand what was important for long-term relationships, Rachel had created a brilliant questionnaire.

Her business partner Hailey had been programming since she was ten.

Maddie herself was good with people and could tell who was a good match and who wasn’t a hundred yards out.

It was a gift. The agency simply needed a little marketing boost and it would work out.

Every business had difficulties in the beginning.

“Well then,” Matt raised his glass, “here’s to promising .”

He clinked glasses with her and she quickly downed the tequila sunrise. All this talk about work was making her nervous.

“Hey, I have another question. What made you google Adonis?”

“Um,” she said quickly, hoping he attributed her glowing cheeks to a bad sunburn, “research.”

He lifted the corner of his mouth and moved his dark gaze down her face to her lips. “Of course,” he whispered.

Oh dear, this was becoming awkward. Time to change the subject again.

“So, how exactly did Lucy convince you to come with her?” She leaned back in her chair and pulled her hands off the table.

“Surely, a famous hockey player has better things to do than go out for drinks with a new co-worker in Santa Monica. Isn’t the Ice Lounge by the arena the actual team hangout?

” At least, according to the tabloids, that was where the groupies congregated.

He shrugged. “I owed her a drink and, to be honest, sometimes I think it’s nice to go somewhere without the team.

We always get recognized when we’re in a group.

Then fans come by who I have to be nice to and my evening is no longer normal and relaxed, so…

” He smiled, but uneasily, as if he had said something that actually revealed that he was vulnerable.

He waved it off. “It’s just that sometimes a little peace and quiet is nice. ”

As if he had summoned them with his words, two college boys stood up a few tables away and stared at him curiously. Matt ignored them, although the looks were so intrusive, Maddie’s neck started to itch.

“Hey, aren’t you Matthew Payne?” one of them eventually asked, full of enthusiasm.

Matt sighed and put on a smile. Before he could open his mouth, though, Maddie beat him to it.

“No, he’s not.” She made a face. “But Freddie hears that all the time. It’s the hair. The rest of the face isn’t as pretty as Payne’s, unfortunately. No offense, Freddie-sweetheart.” She patted his hand apologetically. “I mean, all you have to do is really look. The nose alone…”

The students blinked, then leaned forward and said, “Oops. Yeah, totally. Sorry we disturbed you.”

Embarrassed, they raised their hands and went back to their table.

“Freddie?” Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s your name, after all,” she replied innocently.

He snorted but smiled. “Ah, yes. And what’s wrong with my nose?”

“It’s huge!”

“Hm.” He nodded, concerned. “Yes. You sound like the midwife at my birth. And my mother. And Dax. And the photographer from Sports Illustrated.”